The Party Line: Orientation Issue

The Party Line asks political parties’ youth wings a question every week. We publishes their responses unaltered.

The Question:

Several important issues have already arisen in the new political year; KiwiBuild, marijuana legalisation, mental health, and education reform are just a few examples. What issues will your youth wing be focusing on in 2019? Why?

Young Nats Lower North Island

The Young Nats have been at the forefront of policy debate since our founding in 1936. From fighting to keep the drinking age 18, the legalisation of gay marriage, or requiring Landlords to have working smoke alarms in their rental properties, the Young Nats have always fought for issues that matter to young people. Continuing this tradition, the Young Nats are already working to develop comprehensive policies to take into the next election. This year we are focusing on four key areas: the environment, mental health, employment, and education. These are the biggest issues facing us today and we look forward to entering next year with policies that advocate for the views of young people. This is all part of National’s plan to spend time in opposition putting in the work that Labour didn’t. With the establishment of policy advisory groups and have-your-say campaigns, National is making sure that we enter the election with a clear plan, rather than setting up 200 working groups. If you want to be involved in addressing the issues facing Kiwis today, then come and find the Young Nats stall at Clubs Week and join New Zealand’s largest and most active youth wing.

Grahame Woods

Greens@Vic

We’re ready to get started on holding the government’s feet to the fire when it comes to Aotearoa’s response to the climate crisis. We’ve only got 12 years to turn our global emissions profile around, and that means we’ve got to radically repair our transport services and our agricultural sector if we want a liveable planet. Aotearoa is already far from meeting our 2020 and 2030 targets.

Greens@Vic will keep pushing the government hard on delivering the mental health services we need. The Green Party’s pilot of free mental health services for 18 to 25-year-olds is exciting, but we still need much greater funding for mental health services across the board. National’s neglect in this space, like when they scrapped $800K of necessary funding for Lifeline, now requires urgent funding to reverse—which the Labour coalition is too timid to provide.

This year is also the year of local body elections. Local government has significant power around transport and the environment, so it’s super important to Greens@Vic that we elect city councillors and regional councillors who will prioritise affordable housing, green public transport, the protection of our environment, and the mitigation of climate impacts on vulnerable communities.

Lachlan Patterson

VicLabour

The thing is, it’s hard to know. Every year, as an official branch of the Labour Party our VicLabour membership brainstorms, develops and votes on the positions of our branch. The same can be said of wider Young Labour, which currently votes on five priorities to champion in the party policy process.

During Clubs Week we’ll get a surge of new membership and they, like our current membership, can have their say in what we campaign for. What can be said is that many of our current membership are recognisably environmentalists, socialists, feminists and passionate mental health advocates. So, it can be safely assumed we will push for equitable and sustainable policy for working-class people due to the current isolating state of capitalism.

The one thing we can be certain on is that we’re going to be fighting to get all six Labour candidates elected onto our Wellington City Council, two candidates onto the DHB and one onto the GWRC.

VicLabour is an progressive wing of the party pushing for issues that will make a real difference for young people.

Young New Zealand First

Kia Ora. Almost three months in and the Political year is shaping up to be a spectacle. Between the Huawei conversation and white noise from the Opposition, Young New Zealand First stands behind the achievements of New Zealand First’s contribution to the coalition government thus far.

In the coming year, Young New Zealand First is committed to supporting initiatives to address short-falls in the treatment of attitudes and stigma surrounding mental health issues, and will happily throw on some red-bands for Gumboot Friday when the time comes. Furthermore, we’re confident that New Zealand First and its’ coalition partner will take the appropriate steps required to ensure resolute decisions are made which will benefit all New Zealanders. Young New Zealand First is committed to providing a voice for young New Zealanders that are steadfast in their pride for our country, and would like to extend a warm welcome to all newly enrolled students. As the future alumni from Victoria University of Wellington, your representation is important for the future of our democracy. Young New Zealand First is dedicated to ensuring your voice is heard. Enjoy O-Week, drink plenty of water and look after your friends. Let’s get this coalition bread.

TOP on Campus

Top is a policy and evidence focused party. We are also not orientating ourselves as having youth on or off of campus either. As we are inclusive of all ages. Our focus for 2019 will be to educate New Zealanders on what is going on around us. Instead of a show to pass the buck and move issues aside with soft options. Such as Kiwi build or the idea of Capital gains tax. Like many of our counter parts. Many current functions of our legal social and economic system aren’t working for New Zealanders.Mental health, the environment, education reform and Top’s Marijuana stance can all be found in our policy. We stand behind a future based on the benefit of Kiwis as a nation. We endeavour to hold government to account on all they promise to deliver.

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The student magazine of Victoria University of Wellington. Salient is available on campus free each Monday during term. Funded in part by Victoria University of Wellington students, through the Student Services Levy.